EBERE WABARA

investigations into the sort of killings that wasted some of its (their) men in Jos, the troubled capital of Plateau State, and fish out the culprits.” (THE GUARDIAN, January 23)

“Since AIDS run (runs) a long course atimes (at times) up to 5-10 years before it kills its victim….” (DAILY INDEPENDENT, January 23)

“Seeing this non-challant attitude as a reflection of a people lacking in unity and cohesion….” Spell-check: nonchalant.

“…others who thought they were immuned to injustice were arrested.” No round-up: just immune.

”At the outskirts of the town, a large signpost .... ” Get it right: on the outskirts.

“…the instruments of instruction and education of the policy have been entrenched within the polity.” The road to Aso Rock: entrench in (not within).

“Within the last decade, the Mugabe government was involved in series (a series) of political and financial scandals.”

“Since he was voted out of office in 1980, Mr. Carter has visited Nigeria several times, usually in pursuit of one humanitarian mission or the other.” Certainly, the man had pursued several missions on these shores. So, the proper context should be: one humanitarian mission or another (multiple). The excerpt has just a dual function, which is wrong.

“At the start, when the politicians were told to form political associations, all manners of associations, with different ideological orientations and tendencies, sprouted like mushrooms.” Stock expression: all manner of associations.

For Isaac Aluko-Olokun

May the soul of Ambassador Isaac Agboola Aluko-Olokun, an ardent Wordsworth (Media Gaffes) subscriber, continue to rest in peace. We are celebrating who and what you were: a gentleman, a patriot and a universal citizen. “Good men must die, but death cannot kill their names.” From time to time, I remember our first-and-last meeting in the office of the editor of Daily Times of yore in its heyday, Barrister Ndu Ughamadu, now of the NNPC.